Yesterday, I went with our son Jesse to his Doctor appointment in Santa Barbara – and afterwards we stopped at Santa Barbara Chicken Ranch for lunch. They bill themselves as “Mesquite Bar-B-Q Chicken and Tri-Tip with an Authentic Mexican Flair.” Believe it or not – but this place was recommended by his “Nutritionist” at the Doctors Office. We both had a Combo Plate – with both Tri-Tip and Chicken. Jesse had both Beans and Rice, and I got double Beans and no Rice – topped off with some Mexican Sodas.
They are located at 2618 De La Vina Street in Santa Barbara. The first thing we noticed was the friendliness of the staff – very welcoming – and made you feel at home. It is very unassuming, and comfortable – and the restaurant was clean – and plenty of parking. It is setup like a typical “fast food” restaurant – where you order at the counter – then they bring the food to you.
You have a choice of dining inside or one the patio. It was such a nice day, that we ate on the patio. They have a “Salsa Bar” where you can choose between several different types of Salsas. We chose the Salsa Asada – a bit different than usual – but extremely good.
As you can see, they cook the Chicken in bulk – and based on the taste – they will need it all. The BBQ Chicken was grilled to perfection – tender, yet fully cooked, and the skin had a nice crunch on it. The Tri-Tip had a nice smoke ring – with that great Mesquite taste. I have always liked the taste of Mesquite Smoked Meats. The Tri-Tip was cooked well – not over-cooked – and tender. The beans were very simple – cooked Pinto Beans. They were simple, yet very tasty.
As for the price point – it is very reasonable. For Jesse and I, it came to just over $30.00 – and we left very satisfied. If you are in Santa Barbara, I would strongly recommend Santa Barbara Chicken Ranch as a place to dine.
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